BOSNIAN leaders have had a boost in their EU aspirations after Britain's decision to quit the crumbling bloc.

The prime minister Denis Zvizdic announced on June 23 the eastern European nation, just 20 years after a devastating war, was determined to join the EU because "nowhere on this planet people live better."

Now the country has been given a major boost after being told by Brussels there will begin specific “chapters” on achieving candidate status to the 28 member state organisation.

The timescale that will help the country achieve the status is unknown but it will help them to follow in the footsteps of Turkey, Serbia, Macedonia, Albania and Montenegro who are "candidates”.

Bosnia was the focus of the most prolific war since the Nazi era that was caused by nationalist separatism due to the breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s.